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JUNE 18, 2007 VOL. 21, NO. 10

Bickering Unlimited!

**Adam Oshiomhole**

The bad blood generated by the outcome of last April's gubernatorial election in Edo State continues unabated, as the Action Congress (AC) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) continue to trade words
By Walid Ogunseri, Benin City
he Adams Oshiomhole Campaign Organisation, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State are at one another’s neck over the three INEC staff allegedly arrested by the Police while thumb- printing ballot papers in an obvious bid to make up the number of votes the commission declared in favour of the PDP, so as to have a good defence at the Election Tribunal that last month received Oshiomhole’s petition.
The Oshiomhole campaign organisation had late last month issued a statement made available to The Source in Benin, alerting the general public about the alleged cover- up of the arrest of three INEC officials caught thumb- printing ballot papers by the Police at Igarra and an alleged high calibre conspiracy to the effect that the PDP and INEC are busy destroying and altering official records across the 18 council areas in the State.
According to the statement, on Wednesday, May 23, 2007 three INEC officials, A. A. Lasisi, Egharevba Celestine and O. Ajayi were caught thumb-printing ballot papers meant for the April 14, 2007 gubernatorial elections at Igarra, headquarters of Akoko-Edo Council area of the State. While confirming the arrest, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Igarra, Lazarus Banin, who led the team said his men (Police) “…have been monitoring their movement for the past two days now. So we decided to move in when we discovered that they were thumb-printing ballot papers”.
The DPO also confirmed that one of the fraudulent INEC staff involved in the thumb-printing, Alonge Aslem, jumped out of the window when the Police stormed the INEC office in Igarra.
On Thursday May 24, 2007, the three suspects were detained before being transferred to Edo State Police Command in Benin City, where the Police High Command confirmed the arrest and promised ‘proper and full investigation.'
“Expectedly, the Police released the suspects and the exhibits (thumb-printed ballot papers) to Edo State INEC officials and PDP leaders soon after they got to the State Police Headquarters in Benin City,” the statement added.
The statement added: “It is obvious that Edo PDP, INEC and some Police officers are working together to destroy or tamper with the evidence required for the purpose of Tribunals. For the avoidance of doubt, we recall the recent arrest of a bus load of ballot papers removed from INEC office in Auchi by Policemen”.
The organisation thanked the vigilant youths in Igarra that gave the useful tip to the Police, which led to the arrest of the corrupt INEC officials acting as PDP agents, while calling on all youths and democrats across the State to be vigilant and observant in their areas.
“Let us also sound a note of warning to Edo State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Josiah Nwozoroye and the PDP that, we have reasonable material evidence on this matter to establish his culpability in this despicable act. For the avoidance of doubt, one of the suspects, Mr. Anslem is a teacher at Eneme-Eruru and also doubles as INEC Electoral Officer and was nominated for the job by Barrister Samson Ekhabafe, a PDP leader in the area. Since the news report, the said Ekhabafe has been threatening to “eliminate” newspaper correspondents that exposed their plans”.
In the interest of the general public, the campaign organisation challenged INEC with the following questions:
*Were the three INEC officials abducted or arrested from their offices while “re-arranging” or thumb-printing illegal ballot papers?
*Why did other INEC staff at the scene of crime in Igarra fail to explain to the Police that the fraudulent three were carrying out official assignment?
*Why did it take three days before the REC could come up with a fictitious story to cover up for the corrupt INEC officials?
*Is INEC aware that the Police DPO explained to newsmen that “they were caught thumb-printing ballot papers?”
*Why did Mr. Alonge Anslem (4th accused) jump out of the window when the Police swooped on them, if he was merely doing his lawful duties?
*Why did Edo State INEC fail to demand for their release soon after their arrest, until two days later?
*Is INEC telling the world and Edo people that the Nigerian Police is incapable of distinguishing between a suspected fraud and official duty?
The organisation in its statement appealed to Edo people to remain steadfast and hopeful that the judiciary will reject the illegal and illegitimate government of Senator Oserheimen Osunbor, which INEC has imposed on Edo people.
Worried by the Oshiomhole campaign organisation’s statement, INEC last week issued a release stating that the story was false and misleading.
According to the release signed by the commission’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mrs. P. I. Imodu Sule, “the staff were merely packaging the papers based on the directives from the Commission’s headquarters in readiness for the Electoral tribunal when securitymen based on false alarm they received from individuals, went to our office in Akoko-Edo and cooked up a story, that were unfounded.
The scenario was so embarrassing that after these staff have been arrested without any evidence, the security officials went further ahead to the Akoko-Edo Electoral office to carry bags of used presidential and National Assembly ballot papers kept in the Local Government Electoral stores, which they regarded as exhibit”, adding that, “for the information of the general public, it should be noted that the story was misleading, malicious and part of an arrangement to rope the INEC officials for the version best known to the politicians”.
While all these were going on, the PDP never bothered to make their position known on the subject until Tuesday, June 5, 2007, when the Chairman of PDP in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, Chief Julius Alao, in a one -page advertorial in the Nigerian Observer, stated that the party (PDP) would never have bothered since INEC can speak for itself, but for the dangerous insinuation that the exercise was being undertaken at the instance of the PDP.
Making specific reference to a publication in one of the leading national newspapers, of Friday, May 25, 2007, wherein it was reported that INEC staffers were caught thumb- printing ballot papers in INEC office, Igarra in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, Alao pointed to the Reporter’s extensive liberty in quoting the Action Congress (AC) chairman of the Local Government, Amore Gomina, while deliberately avioded interviewing any PDP leader in the area, pointing out that the consequence of this unfairness is that the Reporter ended up maligning the PDP because he admitted that the purported thumb- printing almost two months after the election was being undertaken by INEC staffers, adding that the question that readily arises is how does an alleged criminal act of some members of INEC become the albatross of the PDP. Otherwise, he asked, how can it be explained that the criminal act of thumb- printing which came to the knowledge of the Action Congress chairman on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 was not reported to the Police until Wednesday the 23rd? (sic)
“We are aware that Action Congress hatched the plot in their desperate bid to malign the PDP and denigrate the elections. It falls in line with the desperation which hallmarked their activities before the elections. At that time, they kept promising fire and brimstone, instead of telling our people what they stand to offer in services.
“They cannot, therefore, change their skin. It is either they are crying wolf where there is none or they are promising to bring OPC (Oodua People's Congress) to disrupt the elections at Ibillo, or they are paying some market women to demonstrate at the premises of the Election Tribunal or directing so-called supporters to wear black on May 29, 2007. All these designs clearly show that the Action Congress and its bankrupt leadership are lawless people who are interested in political theatrics which have nothing to do with political realities”.
Alao reiterated his earlier statement that the people of Akoko-Edo have exercised their rights of franchise and have voted PDP, adding that no plot, in whatever form, is going to alter this position.
While congratulating the people for the support they displayed during the last general elections, he enjoined them to remain calm and ignore the foibles and antics of ignorant desperadoes.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Edo State Police Command, ASP Peter Ogboi told The Source that the Command acknowledges the fact that some INEC officials were actually arrested by Igarra Police and later transfered to Police Headquarters in Benin for allegedly being in possession of Ballot papers and thumb- printing. And as soon as that got to the CID, the command investigated and immediately referred the matter to INEC, and of course, you do know that the electoral law does not give the Police the power to prosecute, but we are ready to give evidence on the issue,” the PRO told The Source.